(CBS DETROIT) – An Allen Park real estate developer will spend a year and a day in prison for bribing Taylor’s former mayor with cash and renovating homes.
According to court documents, 44-year-old Shady Awad bribed former Taylor Mayor Richard Sollars between 2016 and 2018 with cash, improvements to the then-mayor’s home and lake house, appliances and other items in exchange for receiving of tax-foreclosed property owned by the city. redevelop. Awad allegedly charged more than $19,000 to his credit cards and converted the charges into cash for Sollars.
“The conviction and sentence of Mr. Awad should send a strong message that not only will my office bring to justice government officials who accept bribes, but those who seek to gain an advantage by bribing government officials will also face serious consequences will be faced. U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said.
Sollars pleaded guilty in 2023 to taking bribes totaling more than $85,000. As a result of the bribes, Sollars recommended to the Taylor City Council that Awad receive a majority of the properties from the city’s Right of First Refusal program, a program that allowed the city to purchase tax-foreclosed properties from Wayne County for redevelopment.
“Mr. Awad and the former Mayor of Taylor unlawfully corrupted the City of Taylor’s real estate redevelopment program designed to benefit the City and its residents for their own benefit,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson in Michigan. , in a statement. “FBI Michigan’s Detroit Area Corruption Task Force remains committed to rigorously investigating government corruption, especially individuals who cheat the system by bribing public officials.”
